-This has potential applications as a novel method of preventing and treating obesity and related metabolic disease targeting BAT.

Overview

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a special type of adipose tissue that burns fatty acid and converts it to heat in reaction to cold exposure. It plays important roles in controlling body temperature and energy balance. In small rodents, functional disturbance of BAT induces obesity, and its functional enhancement conversely improves obesity.

Recent studies have shown that adult humans possess significant amounts of BAT, but whether it plays a role in preventing obesity or related metabolic disease was unclear. In this study, we showed that cold exposure or repeated ingestion of capsinoid (a nonpungent capsaicin analog) which acts on TRP channels can increase the amount of brown adipose tissue, and that this decreases body fat.

This finding suggests that BAT is an effective target when considering methods of preventing and treating obesity and metabolic syndrome, which are currently a global issues.

Inquiries

Toshihiko Iwanaga, Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University